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	Brothers Claim Abuse by Former Diocesan Teacher By Joe Holden Kath.net June 7, 2010 http://pahomepage.com/fulltext/?nxd_id=140905 ALLENTOWN, LEHIGH COUNTY- Warren and Russ Land say it was around 1980 when a teacher at Saint Francis Parochial School in Minersville molested them. More stunning about the case, neither Land brother knew the other had been abused, according to their account told to us on the steps of the Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Sienna of what happened nearly 30 years ago. The Lands say they didn't exchange their accounts of abuse until 2007. That's when they say the Schuylkill County District Attorney's office and the Diocese of Allentown were first notified. Warren Land said the church rather promptly reviewed their claims and pointed out the statute of limitations had expired. The Lands were told there was nothing that could be done. They remained silent for another three years. Both men said coming forward and speaking out was part of the pathway to healing. But they say it's also part of disclosing what they've lived with for three decades. Warren and Russ Land say a man by the name of James Gross abused them. Gross, then a teacher at Saint Francis, was heavily involved in youth activities, according to the Lands. They both say they were abused separately and that it supposedly happened only one time. Gross would be charged in the '90s in two separate cases for indecent assault and corruption of minors. Court records reveal Gross pleaded guilty in both instances. The documents indicated he could have seen a maximum of five years in jail for each case. Gross did not return several phone messages seeking comment. A message left for Gross with a man who answered the phone was also not returned. Gross has not been charged in the case of Warren and Russ Land. Attorneys retained by the Lands were informed the statute for both criminal and civil action had expired, according to documents provided by the Lands and reviewed by the I-Team. The Lands are particularly critical of the Diocese of Allentown and its handling of the case. They charge the church has failed to honor its moral obligation to protect children enrolled in Catholic schools, yesterday and today. A spokesman for the diocese said the church first contacted the Schuylkill County District Attorney in 2007 when the Lands came forward. Matt Kerr said the church felt that was the most "prudent" thing to do. Asked about the church's charter, a document that establishes guidelines for handling claims of abuse in the church, Kerr said it only applies to priests, not lay teachers or employees. The Lands said they were hoping the diocese would begin notifying those from the now-closed St. Francis Parochial school. Kerr indicated James Gross left that school in 1984. No reason was given.
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